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Friday, July 5, 2013

It was hotter than I like to run in (like 85 maybe), but it was fun nonetheless. My friend Alison ran with me, and we enjoyed our post-race beer together. (By far, the best reason for running is getting a beer at the end!)

We both did great at the race, too! Though I started a bit too fast (seriously! a 9:17 mile for the first one! Ca-RAZY fast for me!!), I slowed down to my regular pace and finished the 5K-plus (it ended up being 3.4 miles) in just 34:50 - a 10:16 pace. My best so far this year!

Friday, June 28, 2013

Among the latest reasons I may be crazy is my summer running calendar! I have 6 races (mostly 5Ks, but one 10K) on the calendar between July 1 and August 31. WOW!

First, the Hot Dam 5K on July 3rd. I'm excited for this one because it's an evening race (though, it might be hot), there's beer at the end, it's my old stomping grounds, I'm running with a friend, AND there's nothing I want more than a T-Shirt that says Hot Dam! on it. :)

I was a bit coerced to doing the Color Run. I had a lot of friends who ran it last year and it looked like a big, busy mess! When I run a race, I run to do the best I can do - and the Color Run looks like a crazy mayhem! But, my friends convinced me to do it with them, and I'm not one to turn down a child-free day. I'm most concerned about getting the color dye on my glasses. What if I won't be able to see where I'm going?!

Then, in a first for me, I'm doing back-to-back 5Ks in a single weekend. Saturday July 20th is the Highland Fest 5K, part of my neighborhood celebration. Then on Sunday July 21st I'm venturing to Red Wing for the Falconer 5K. I'm so excited for this one! Wine tasting at the end!!

I take a few weeks off, but then jump back in with one of my favorite races, the Milk Run at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 25th. This was one of the first 5K races I ever ran in 2005 or 2006 and it is SO FUN! The winners of this race get a blue ribbon - something that I am certain I will never earn. But it's fun to dream!

And the last race I'm registered for this summer is the Women Rock 10K on Aug. 31st. Should be a fun race - near my house, a fun distance, running with a friend, champagne at the end. Can't wait!

Pretty busy running summer! I have plans for the fall, too, but I think I need to get through the summer first. Races are so addicting - I love the atmosphere. I love challenging myself. I love the goodie bags you get. I love wearing my T-shirt with pride.

I hope to see my times improve throughout this summer... but even if not, I will remember this summer by how many races I ran!

Monday, June 17, 2013

Here it is Monday. Another chance to start new. My mom and stepdad came to Minnesota for a quick visit this weekend, and as always, I revert to my old eating self and ate my weight in junk. Seriously! I can stand up for myself in all aspects of my life except when my mom is around. Then I eat and eat and eat and eat anything that is in front of me. This weekend, we took a trip to Cossetta's and I ate more pasta than I have in months. It was delicious, mind you, but a quick peek at the scale on Sunday scared me!!

My daughter & my mom enjoying some (a lot) of pasta

Now on to normal Monday Business: Friend Makin' Monday!

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new,
please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog
then add your link in the comments section at: www.alltheweigh.com
so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your
blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity
to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a
moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other
posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

Just Wondering

1. Do you wear glasses and/or contacts? I do. I wear glasses. I have since I was 10. People ask me if I want to get contacts and the answer is always no. My glasses are part of my personality and reflect who I am.

2. Do you have summer vacation plans? If so, where are you going?
Church camp with the kids, then Music and Art classes, storytimes, fun at the Y, playdates, and so on! For me: I hope to run about seven or eight 5K or longer races between now and October, so I better keep on training!

3. What is your favorite food to eat for breakfast? Multigrain Cheerios with Vanilla Almond Milk and blueberries and bananas on top. When I am trying to have a lower carb day, I will make and egg or two, but I really love Multigrain Cheerios. (So do my kids!)

4. Do you enjoy window shopping? I like to window online shop! Mostly when I am out at the Mall or somewhere, it's for a mission to get something. I either have the kids with me (so I don't have a lot of time before I lose their attention) or I have just an hour or two to myself (so no time for dilly-dallying!)

5. What is your favorite candle scent? I don't really like candles and with two toddlers, they aren't very safe. But I do like a nice peppermint or cinnamon or other homey/holiday scent at Christmas time.

6. If you had to choose between going to a zoo or an aquarium, which one would you pick? Zoo. My kids love it and I like to walk around outside. Here in the Twin Cities, we have two zoos to choose from: the Minnesota Zoo or the Como Zoo. Minnesota Zoo is expensive if you don't have a membership (we do), but so worth it, IMO. Como Zoo is a free city park, but it's always overcrowded and a lot of the animals are in cement cages. It smells bad and depresses me.

7. How many times do you plan to exercise this week? At least 3 or 4. I've started running in the morning before my kids get up and I *love* it!!! It's nice and quiet and cool. I live just 3 blocks from the Mississippi River Road, which is a nice route to run, so I hope to get out there at least 3 times this week, plus one trip to the Y for some elliptical work (and a break from the kids!). The Y also recently started offering Water Zumba, which I think sounds interesting. I want to try that on Saturday morning.

8. Do you speak another language fluently? Not even a little. I wish I had kept up my Spanish, though. I took a few years in college, but then dropped it for something else.

9. What are you currently reading? I've just started reading Raising a Son and Loving Frank at the same time. I alternate which one I choose when I read before bed.

Isn't the cover of this bookHILARIOUS?!

10. What are you looking forward to most in the coming week? My best friend is in the hospital having a baby as I type. I CANNOT WAIT to go meet him!!!!!! (and see her, too).

1. Volunteer at Feed My Starving Children - at least twice. (One down, one to go on June 24!)
2. Host a Christmas Cookie exchange. (I went to one... I won't be able to host one since I'll be 34 before Christmas)
3. Run a 5K, a 7K, a 10K, and a "longer than 10K" race (maybe a 10 mile or 1/2 marathon?).
4. Read at least 6 books for fun.
5. Make a family cookbook.
6. Take the kids to Wisconsin.
7. Get a pedicure.
8. Swim in a lake (with the kids).
9. Take a family vacation - that doesn't involve going to or staying at a relative's home.
10. Crochet a blanket (you'll remember that was a New Year's Resolution from last year, whoops, didn't get there...). DONE!!!!
11. Reconnect (ie: see in person) some old friends who I've not seen much since B&H were born
12. Paint my bedroom.
13. Take a sewing class.
14. Go to Lake Minnetonka.15. Try Zumba at least once.I have been going to Zumba class every Wednesday!
16. Pay off one of my student loans
17. Send real paper cards to my immediate family members for their birthdays.
18. Sleep in (past 8:00) just once.19. Stay up late (past 11:00) just once.
20. Go to a movie in the theater.21. Go to a concert. I saw Fleetwood Mac with my BFF Andrea in April, 2013!22. Go to a play or musical.Saw "Rock of Ages" with BFF in May!
23. Leave a treat and thank you note for the mailman.
24. Take the kids on an airplane (Yikes! This is crazy!)
25. Take the Jeopardy online quiz again.26. Go sledding (with the kids).Well, it was more me pulling them in the sleds, but that's better than nothing. And safer!
27. Learn a bit of basic graphic design.
28. Shovel my neighbor's sidewalk for no reason.
29. Wear pajamas all day.
30. Spend an entire day sitting at a coffee shop reading (without kids).31. Go on a Girl's Weekend with my friends.Had SO MUCH FUN at Craft weekend in June 2013!
32. Donate blood.
33. Pay for someone's coffee who is behind me in line.

So, now I have 7 things totally done, a few on the way, and some work to do in the next 5 months!!

Monday, June 10, 2013

It's Monday, and I'm ready to do another Friend Makin' Monday from All the Weigh. If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new,
please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog
then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.com
so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your
blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity
to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a
moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other
posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

How Do You Celebrate?

1. When is your birthday? November 7th.

2. Do you like to celebrate it or do you prefer to keep it quiet? I like to celebrate, but I don't go around announcing it's my birthday when it is. I love it when I get cards in the mail, though. And of course Facebook makes it easy to feel loved because so many people send an electronic greeting.

3. Have you ever had a surprise party? No, probably never will. No offense to my husband, but he could probably never plan one.

4. What sign are you? Does it represent you well? I'm a Scorpio, but I don't really know what that means... I've never really thought about it.

5. Do you tell the truth about your age? Usually, unless I forget how old I am. I'm 33, and sometimes I just plain forget. (SERIOUS! I was typing this answer and I typed 32! What?!)

6. Share your best birthday memory. My husband and I went on a cruise for my 30th birthday. The cruise itself wasn't necessarily my cup of tea, but there was something awesome about sitting on the deck of the ship watching the ocean on the day of my birthday.

7. Share a few item that could be on your birthday wishlist. I'd like to sleep in past 8:00 am. haha. I'd also like my kids to make me something (with husband's help) and I've always wanted a DSLR camera (and classes to learn how to use it).

8. What is your favorite kind of cake? Marble with chocolate frosting. Or Funfetti with vanilla frosting. Or German Chocolate cake (or anything, really) from Cafe Latte (where we usually go to celebrate birthdays).

9. If you could be anywhere on your next birthday, where would you be? At home with my husband and kids. I like to have my time away, but mostly I like to be around them. :)

10. Do you make a wish when you blow out the candles? Yes, if there are candles! Probably my kids will blow them out for me from now on, though.

1. What is your favorite summer fruit? Strawberries when they are warm, and always watermelon. Mmmm.

2. Do you know how to swim? Yes, but not "properly" - I can certainly keep myself alive if I'm in deep water, but I'll never win an Olympic medal.

3. Do you prefer sun or snow? SUN! Minnesota is my home, and if I didn't love it so much here, I'd hate it from Octoer-April (or, I guess this year, JUNE!)

4. What temperature do you like most inside your home? In the winter, we keep the temp at 66 or 67. In the summer, we keep it at 69 or 70. I wish we could keep it at 70 or 72 in the winter. I hate being cold.

5. Is it humid where you live? Sometimes, yes. July can have a few muggy days, but nothing like the south.

6. What is your favorite food to put on the grill?
Anything! But I really love burgers & brats!

7. Do you prefer to wear a one-piece or two-piece swim suit? One-piece. I don't trust my kids to keep my top on when I'm swimming with them!

9. Do you prefer the pool or the ocean? I've only been to the ocean like 3 or 4 times. I loved it and would love to go back! So for now, the pool is good. Though, I do have a goal of swimming in a lake with my kids this summer.

10. What are you looking forward to most over the summer? SUN! I also want to take a few short trips with my husband and kids, maybe heading up to Duluth for a long weekend. I am also planning to run at least four 5K or 10K races this summer. They are so fun!